Facilitating in-device coexistence between wireless communication technologies

ABSTRACT

A method for facilitating in-device coexistence between wireless communication technologies on a wireless communication device is provided. The method can include transmitting data traffic from the wireless communication device via an aggressor wireless communication technology; determining occurrence of an in-device interference condition resulting from transmission of the data traffic via the aggressor wireless communication technology interfering with concurrent data reception by the wireless communication device via a victim wireless communication technology; and reducing a bit rate of the data traffic transmitted via the aggressor wireless communication technology in response to the in-device interference condition.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/727,682, filed on Jun. 1, 2015, entitled “FACILITATING IN-DEVICECOEXISTENCE BETWEEN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES,” which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application No. 13/909,298, filed on Jun. 4,2013, entitled “FACILITATING IN-DEVICE COEXISTENCE BETWEEN WIRELESSCOMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES,” which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/769,144, filed on Feb. 25, 2013,entitled “FACILITATING IN-DEVICE COEXISTENCE BETWEEN WIRELESSCOMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES,” the contents of which are incorporated byreference herein in their entirety for all purposes.

FIELD OF THE DESCRIBED EMBODIMENTS

The described embodiments relate generally to wireless communicationsand more particularly to facilitating in-device coexistence betweenwireless communication technologies.

BACKGROUND

Many wireless communication devices support multiple wirelesscommunication technologies and may concurrently communicate via multiplewireless communication technologies. In many instances, wirelesscommunication technologies used by a device can use channel bands thatmay interfere with each other. In such instances, energy from a bandused by one technology can leak into a band used by another technology.This energy leakage can raise the noise floor and cause a problem knownas desense. In many instances, desense can negatively impact the use ofcertain channel bands and, in severe cases, can render certain channelbands unusable. Accordingly, interference that can result in desenseposes a problem for in-device coexistence of multiple wirelesscommunication technologies.

A particularly troublesome in-device coexistence condition can resultfrom a scenario in which a device emits a transmission via a firstwireless communication technology, referred to as an aggressortechnology, while the device is receiving data via a second wirelesscommunication technology, referred to as a victim technology. Datareceipt by the victim technology can be damaged by desense interferencefrom the aggressor transmission. In this regard, received packet errors,or even complete deafening of the victim technology receiver can resultfrom the interference that can be caused by the aggressor technologytransmission. For example transmission of a cellular signal by a deviceat a time when a Bluetooth or wireless local area network (WLAN) signalis received can deafen the Bluetooth or WLAN receiver, causing errorsand, in some cases, complete loss of connection.

SUMMARY OF THE DESCRIBED EMBODIMENTS

This document describes, inter alia, techniques for facilitatingin-device coexistence between wireless communication technologies on awireless communication device. According to some embodiments, a wirelesscommunication device may operate using two or more wirelesscommunication technologies, which may include an “aggressor” technologyand a “victim” technology. The wireless communication device may detectan in-device interference condition, indicating that the transmission ofdata via the aggressor technology interfere with the reception of dataat the victim technology; upon detecting this condition, the wirelesscommunication device may reduce the bit rate of the data traffictransmitted on the aggressor technology.

This Summary is provided merely for purposes of summarizing some exampleembodiments so as to provide a basic understanding of some aspects ofthis disclosure. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the abovedescribed example embodiments are merely examples and should not beconstrued to narrow the scope or spirit of the features described hereinin any way. Other embodiments, aspects, and advantages of the subjectmatter described herein will become apparent from the following DetailedDescription, Figures, and Claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The described embodiments and the advantages thereof may best beunderstood by reference to the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings. These drawings are notnecessarily drawn to scale, and in no way limit any changes in form anddetail that may be made to the described embodiments by one skilled inthe art without departing from the spirit and scope of the describedembodiments.

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a wireless communication device inaccordance with some example embodiments.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example chipset architecture for facilitatingin-device coexistence between wireless communication technologies inaccordance with some example embodiments.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example system in which some example embodimentscan be implemented to facilitate in-device coexistence between wirelesscommunication technologies.

FIG. 4 illustrates a system layer diagram in accordance with someexample embodiments.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart according to an example method forfacilitating in-device coexistence between wireless communicationtechnologies according to some example embodiments.

FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart according to another example method forfacilitating in-device coexistence between wireless communicationtechnologies according to some example embodiments.

FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart according to a further example method forfacilitating in-device coexistence between wireless communicationtechnologies according to some example embodiments.

FIG. 8 illustrates a flowchart according to an example method forincreasing a bit rate of data traffic following mitigation of anin-device interference condition according to some example embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SELECTED EMBODIMENTS

Some example embodiments described in this document address an in-devicecoexistence problem between wireless communication technologies. Moreparticularly, some example embodiments described further herein addressa situation in which a transmission is emitted by a device via anaggressor technology while the device is to receive data via a victimtechnology. In such situations, the aggressor technology transmissionscan inhibit data reception via the victim technology, potentiallyresulting in received data errors, or in extreme cases, even completelydeafening the victim technology receiver. For example, when a devicecommunicates concurrently via cellular communications and a lowerpowered communication technology utilizing an industrial, scientific,and medical (ISM) band, such as an Institute of Electrical andElectronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.15 wireless personal area network (PAN)communication technology (e.g., Bluetooth and/or other wireless PANcommunication technology) or WLAN technology, cellular transmissions canprevent data reception via the ISM band technology. Some exampleembodiments facilitate in-device coexistence between wirelesscommunication technologies by mitigating such in-device interferenceconditions. More particularly, in accordance with some embodiments, abit rate of data traffic transmitted via the aggressor wirelesscommunication technology can be reduced in response to occurrence of anin-device interference condition. This reduction, or “throttling,” ofthe bit rate of data traffic transmitted via the aggressor wirelesscommunication technology can mitigate in-device interference withconcurrent data reception via the victim wireless communicationtechnology. In this regard, for example, in some embodiments, reducingthe bit rate of data traffic transmitted via the aggressor wirelesscommunication technology can allow for improved concurrent datareception via the victim wireless communication technology by yielding aresulting reduction in transmission power of transmissions via theaggressor wireless communication technology and/or by creating time gapsin data traffic transmission via the aggressor wireless communicationtechnology.

Referring now to FIG. 1, FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of awireless communication device 100 in accordance with some exampleembodiments. The wireless communication device 100 can be any devicecapable of communicating via multiple wireless communicationtechnologies. By way of non-limiting example, the wireless communicationdevice 100 can be a mobile phone, tablet computing device, laptopcomputer, or other computing device adapted to communicate via multiplewireless communication technologies. It will be appreciated that thecomponents, devices or elements illustrated in and described withrespect to FIG. 1 below may not be mandatory and thus some may beomitted in certain embodiments. Additionally, some embodiments caninclude further or different components, devices or elements beyondthose illustrated in and described with respect to FIG. 1.

In some example embodiments, the wireless communication device 100 caninclude processing circuitry 110 that is configurable to perform actionsin accordance with one or more example embodiments disclosed herein. Inthis regard, the processing circuitry 110 can be configured to performand/or control performance of one or more functionalities of thewireless communication device 100 in accordance with various exampleembodiments, and thus can provide means for performing functionalitiesof the wireless communication device 100 in accordance with variousexample embodiments. The processing circuitry 110 can be configured toperform data processing, application execution and/or other processingand management services according to one or more example embodiments.

In some embodiments, the wireless communication device 100 or aportion(s) or component(s) thereof, such as the processing circuitry110, can include one or more chipsets, which can each include one ormore chipsets. The processing circuitry 110 and/or one or more furthercomponents of the wireless communication device 100 can therefore, insome instances, be configured to implement an embodiment on a chipset.In some example embodiments in which one or more components of thewireless communication device 100 is embodied as a chipset(s), thechipset(s) can enable the wireless communication device 100 to operatewithin one or more wireless networks in accordance with one or morewireless communication technologies.

In some example embodiments, the processing circuitry 110 can include aprocessor 112 and, in some embodiments, such as that illustrated in FIG.1, can further include memory 114. The processing circuitry 110 can bein communication with or otherwise control an aggressor technologycommunication interface 116, victim technology communication interface118, and/or data traffic control module 120.

The processor 112 can be embodied in a variety of forms. For example,the processor 112 can be embodied as various hardware-based processingmeans such as a microprocessor, a coprocessor, a controller or variousother computing or processing devices including integrated circuits suchas, for example, an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), anFPGA (field programmable gate array), some combination thereof, or thelike. Although illustrated as a single processor, it will be appreciatedthat the processor 112 can comprise a plurality of processors. Theplurality of processors can be in operative communication with eachother and can be collectively configured to perform one or morefunctionalities of the wireless communication device 100 as describedherein. In some example embodiments, the processor 112 can be configuredto execute instructions that can be stored in the memory 114 or that canbe otherwise accessible to the processor 112. As such, whetherconfigured by hardware or by a combination of hardware and software, theprocessor 112 capable of performing operations according to variousembodiments while configured accordingly.

In some example embodiments, the memory 114 can include one or morememory devices. Memory 114 can include fixed and/or removable memorydevices. In some embodiments, the memory 114 can provide anon-transitory computer-readable storage medium that can store computerprogram instructions that can be executed by the processor 112. In thisregard, the memory 114 can be configured to store information, data,applications, instructions and/or the like for enabling the wirelesscommunication device 100 to carry out various functions in accordancewith one or more example embodiments. In some embodiments, the memory114 can be in communication with one or more of the processor 112,aggressor technology communication interface 116, victim technologycommunication interface 118, or data traffic control module 120 via abus(es) for passing information among components of the wirelesscommunication device 100.

The wireless communication device 100 can further include an aggressortechnology communication interface 116. The aggressor technologycommunication interface 116 can be configured to enable the wirelesscommunication device 100 to establish and support a wireless connectionto another device and/or another device in accordance with an aggressorwireless communication technology. As such, the aggressor technologycommunication interface 116 can include, for example, an antenna (ormultiple antennas) and supporting hardware and/or software for enablingcommunications in accordance with an aggressor wireless communicationtechnology that can be supported by the aggressor technologycommunication interface 116. In some example embodiments, the aggressortechnology communication interface 116 can include, or be implemented asa chipset, which, when implemented on a device such as the wirelesscommunication device 100, can enable the device to transmit and/orreceive data via the aggressor wireless communication technology.

The aggressor technology communication interface 116 can support anywireless communication technology, which can act as an aggressor toanother wireless communication technology (e.g., a victim wirelesscommunication technology). In some example embodiments, the aggressortechnology communication interface 116 can be a cellular communicationinterface. For example, the aggressor technology communication interface116 can be configured to support communication via a Long Term Evolution(LTE) cellular communication technology, an LTE-Advanced (LTE-A)cellular communication technology, a Universal Mobile TelecommunicationsSystem (UMTS) cellular communication technology, a Global System forMobile Communications (GSM) cellular communication technology, a CodeDivision Multiple Access (CDMA) cellular communication technology, or aCDMA 2000 cellular communication technology, and/or other cellularcommunication technology.

The wireless communication device 100 can further include a victimtechnology communication interface 118. The victim technologycommunication interface 118 can be configured to enable the wirelesscommunication device 100 to establish and support a wireless connectionto another device and/or another device in accordance with a victimwireless communication technology. As such, the victim technologycommunication interface 118 can include, for example, an antenna (ormultiple antennas) and supporting hardware and/or software for enablingcommunications in accordance with a victim wireless communicationtechnology that can be supported by the victim technology communicationinterface 118. In some example embodiments, the victim technologycommunication interface 118 can include, or be implemented as a chipset,which, when implemented on a device such as the wireless communicationdevice 100, can enable the device to transmit and/or receive data viathe victim wireless communication technology.

The victim technology communication interface 118 can support anywireless communication technology, which can suffer as a victim toanother wireless communication technology (e.g., an aggressor wirelesscommunication technology). In some example embodiments, the victimtechnology communication interface 118 can be a wireless local areanetwork (WLAN) and/or wireless personal area network (WPAN)communication interface. For example in some example embodiments inwhich the victim technology communication interface 118 provides a WPANcommunication interface, the victim technology communication interface118 can support communication via Bluetooth or other IEEE 802.15-basedWPAN technology, Zigbee, and/or other WPAN technology. As a furtherexample, in some example embodiments in which the victim technologycommunication interface 118 provides a WLAN communication interface, thevictim technology communication interface 118 can support communicationvia Wi-Fi (e.g., based on one or more of: IEEE 802.11a; IEEE 802.11b;IEEE 802.11g; IEEE 802.11-2007; IEEE 802.11n; IEEE 802.11-2012; IEEE802.11ac; or other IEEE 802.11 technologies) and/or other WLANcommunication technology. Such WLAN and WPAN technologies often usefrequency bands within an ISM band. However, it will be appreciated thatvarious WLAN and WPAN technologies can use non-ISM bands as well, andthe usage of such bands is contemplated within the scope of thedisclosure. For example, IEEE 802.11-2012 supports the usage of the3.65-3.7 GHz frequency band. Frequently, the frequency bands used byvarious WLAN and WPAN technologies are unlicensed frequency bands, butin some cases a WLAN and/or WPAN technology that can be supported by thevictim technology communication interface 118 can utilize one or morefrequency bands that may be licensed by a body that may regulateportions of the frequency spectrum within a political/geographic region,such as, by way of non-limiting example, the Federal CommunicationsCommission (FCC) in the United States. It will be appreciated, however,that embodiments are not limited to facilitating cellular and WLAN/WPAN(e.g., ISM band) coexistence, as some embodiments can facilitatein-device coexistence between any two disparate wireless communicationtechnologies. For example, in some embodiments, the aggressor technologycommunication interface 116 can support a first cellular communicationtechnology and the victim technology communication interface 118 cansupport a second cellular communication technology. As a furtheralternative example, in some embodiments, the aggressor technologycommunication interface 116 can support a first WLAN/WPAN communicationtechnology, such as may use an ISM band, and the victim technologycommunication interface 118 can support a WLAN/WPAN communicationtechnology, such as may use an ISM band.

It will be appreciated, however, that while examples are given hereinwith the aggressor technology being a cellular technology and the victimtechnology being a WLAN/WPAN technology, other coexistence scenarios canbe facilitated in accordance with various example embodiments. In thisregard, the aggressor technology communication interface 116 can supporta wireless communication technology other than a cellular technology,which can act as an aggressor to another wireless communicationtechnology. Similarly, the victim technology communication interface 118can support a wireless communication technology other than a WLAN/WPANtechnology that can suffer as a victim to another wireless communicationtechnology. Indeed, in some instances, a WLAN/WPAN technology can evenserve as an aggressor to a cellular technology, and some embodiments canbe applied to reduce a bit rate of data traffic that can be transmittedvia the WLAN/WPAN technology to support coexistence in such instances.As still a further example, some example embodiments can supportcoexistence between two or more WLAN/WPAN technologies.

The wireless communication device 100 can further include data trafficcontrol module 120. The data traffic control module 120 can be embodiedas various means, such as circuitry, hardware, a computer programproduct including a computer readable medium (for example, the memory114) storing computer readable program instructions that are executableby a processing device (for example, the processor 112), or somecombination thereof. In some embodiments, the processor 112 (or theprocessing circuitry 110) can include, or otherwise control the datatraffic control module 120. As will be described further herein below,the data traffic control module 120 can be configured in some exampleembodiments to determine an occurrence of an in-device interferencecondition resulting from transmission of data traffic via the aggressortechnology communication interface 116 interfering with concurrent datareception via the victim technology communication interface 118 and toreduce a bit rate of the data traffic transmitted via the aggressortechnology communication interface 116 in response to the in-deviceinterference condition.

As discussed, in some example embodiments, the components illustrated inFIG. 1 can form one or more chipsets. FIG. 2 illustrates an examplechipset architecture 200 for facilitating in-device coexistence betweenwireless communication technologies in accordance with some exampleembodiments. The chipset architecture 200 can include an aggressortechnology chipset 202 and victim technology chipset 204, each of whichcan be interfaced with a data traffic control module 206. The aggressortechnology chipset 202 can be an embodiment of the aggressor technologycommunication interface 116 in which the aggressor technologycommunication interface 116 is at least partially implemented as achipset. The victim technology chipset 204 can, likewise, be anembodiment of the victim technology communication interface 118 in whichthe victim technology communication interface 118 is at least partiallyimplemented as a chipset. The data traffic control module 206 can be anembodiment of the data traffic control module 120. In some exampleembodiments, the processing circuitry 110 can be configured tofacilitate interfacing between the data traffic control module 206 andeach of the aggressor technology chipset 202 and victim technologychipset 204. The interface between the data traffic control module 206and the victim technology chipset 204 can enable communication betweenthe victim technology chipset 204 and data traffic control module 206 sothat the data traffic control module 206 can determine an occurrence ofan in-device interference condition based at least in part onmeasurements and/or other feedback that can be provided by the victimtechnology chipset 204. The interface between the data traffic controlmodule 206 and the aggressor technology chipset 202 can enable the datatraffic control module 206 to reduce a bit rate of data traffic that canbe provided to the aggressor technology chipset 202 for transmission inresponse to occurrence of an in-device interference condition.

In some example embodiments, the aggressor technology chipset 202 andvictim technology chipset 204 can be interfaced via an interface 208.The interface 208 can, for example, be implemented via a bus(es) thatcan enable communication between the aggressor technology chipset 202and victim technology chipset 204. In some embodiments including aninterface 208, the interface 208 can be a direct interface between theaggressor technology chipset 202 and victim technology chipset 204.Alternatively, in some embodiments including an interface 208, theinterface 208 can be an indirect interface, which can traverse one ormore further components of the wireless communication device 100, suchas, the processing circuitry 110, processor 112, memory 114, and/orother component of the wireless communication device 100. The interface208 can, for example, enable the aggressor technology chipset 202 toinform the victim technology chipset 204 when data traffic istransmitted via the aggressor wireless communication technology so thatthe victim technology chipset 204 can discriminate in-deviceinterference conditions from interference that can be caused fromexternal factors.

It will be appreciated that embodiments other than those in whichseparate chipsets are used for the aggressor technology and the victimtechnology are contemplated within the scope of the disclosure. Forexample, in some example embodiments, both the aggressor technology andthe victim technology can be supported by a common chipset. In suchembodiments, both the aggressor technology communication interface 116and victim technology communication interface 118 can be co-located on asingle chipset. Thus, for example, some example embodiments can beimplemented on a single chip or chipset configured to provide bothcellular and a WLAN and/or WPAN communication functionality, such asBluetooth, WLAN, some combination thereof, and/or the like.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example system 300 in which some exampleembodiments can be implemented to facilitate in-device coexistencebetween wireless communication technologies. The system 300 can includea wireless communication device 302, which can, for example, be anembodiment of wireless communication device 100. In some exampleembodiments, the wireless communication device 302 can include aggressortechnology chipset 202 and victim technology chipset 204. The wirelesscommunication device 302 can be configured to engage in cellularcommunications, which can be supported by a base station 304. Forexample, the wireless communication device 302 can be configured toengage in communication via a Long Term Evolution (LTE) cellularcommunication technology, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System(UMTS) cellular communication technology, a Global System for MobileCommunications (GSM) cellular communication technology, a Code DivisionMultiple Access (CDMA) cellular communication technology, a CDMA 2000cellular communication technology, and/or other cellular communicationtechnology. The wireless communication device 302 can be furtherconfigured to engage in communications via an ISM band technology. Thus,for example, the wireless communication device 302 can engage inwireless communications with a device 308 via an ISM band network 306.For example, in embodiments in which the ISM band network 306 is aBluetooth network, the device 308 can be a Bluetooth headset or otherBluetooth device that can be interfaced with a wireless communicationdevice. As another example, in embodiments in which the ISM band network306 is a WLAN, the device 308 can be a WLAN access point, a second WLANstation, and/or other device with which a wireless communication devicecan communicate over a WLAN. It will be appreciated, however, that anetwork implementing a WLAN or WPAN technology using a non-ISM band canbe substituted for the ISM band network 306 within the scope of thedisclosure.

In context of the system 300, various embodiments, including at leastsome of those described further herein below can be implemented on thewireless communication device 302 to reduce the bit rate of cellulardata traffic that can be transmitted by the wireless communicationdevice 302 to the base station 304 in response to situations in whichtransmission of the cellular data traffic interferes with concurrentreception by the wireless communication device 302 of data sent by thedevice 308 via the ISM band network 306. Additionally or alternatively,in some embodiments, the bit rate of ISM band data traffic that can betransmitted by the wireless communication device 302 to the device 308over the ISM band network 306 can be reduced in response to situationsin which transmission of the ISM band data traffic interferes withconcurrent reception by the wireless communication device 302 ofcellular data sent by the base station 304. It will be appreciated,however, that system 300 is provided merely by way of example. In thisregard, as previously noted, some example embodiments facilitatein-device wireless communication technology coexistence scenarios otherthan cellular and ISM band coexistence.

Having now described example devices and components that can implementvarious embodiments disclosed herein and an example system in which someexample embodiments can be implemented, several example embodiments willbe described in additional detail with reference to the componentsdescribed in FIGS. 1 and 2. Further, some example embodiments will bedescribed by way of example with respect to the system 300 illustratedin FIG. 3.

In some example embodiments, the data traffic control module 120 can beconfigured to determine occurrence of an in-device interferencecondition resulting from transmission of data traffic via the aggressorwireless communication technology interfering with concurrent datareception by the wireless communication device 100 via the victimwireless communication technology. For example, the data traffic controlmodule 120 can be configured to determine that an in-device interferencecondition exists any time in which transmission of data traffic via theaggressor technology communication interface 116 is ongoing concurrentwith data reception via the victim technology communication interface118.

Additionally or alternatively, the data traffic control module 118 canbe configured to determine an occurrence of an in-device interferencecondition based at least in part on measurements and/or other feedbackthat can be provided by the victim technology communication interface118. For example, in some embodiments, such as, by way of non-limitingexample, embodiments in which the victim wireless communicationtechnology is Bluetooth, the victim technology communication interface118 can be configured to calculate an observed received data error rateand report an indication of the observed data error rate to the datatraffic control module 120. If the observed received data error rateexceeds a threshold error rate, then it can be determined that there isan in-device interference condition for which a bit rate of data traffictransmitted via the aggressor technology communication interface 116should be reduced. Additionally or alternatively, in some exampleembodiments, such as by way of non-limiting example, embodiments inwhich the victim wireless communication technology is WLAN, the victimtechnology communication interface 118 can be configured to measure anobserved noise floor and report an indication of the observed noisefloor to the data traffic control module 120. If the observed noisefloor exceeds a threshold, then it can be determined that there is anin-device interference condition for which a bit rate of data traffictransmitted via the aggressor technology communication interface 116should be reduced.

In some example embodiments, the data traffic control module 120 and/orvictim technology communication interface 118 can be configured todiscriminate between an in-device interference condition and situationsin which data reception via the victim wireless communication technologysuffers from interference that can be caused by factors external to thewireless communication device 100. For example, in some embodiments, thedata traffic control module 120 and/or victim technology communicationinterface 118 can know when data traffic is transmitted via theaggressor technology communication interface 116, and can determine thatinterference suffered by the victim technology communication interface118 results from an in-device interference condition only in an instancein which there is concurrent data traffic transmission via the aggressortechnology communication interface 116. In some such embodiments, theaggressor technology communication interface 116 can inform the victimtechnology communication interface 118 when data traffic is beingtransmitted via the aggressor technology communication interface 116 sothat the victim technology communication interface 118 can identifyinstances in which an in-device interference condition may exist. Forexample, in embodiments, such as that illustrated in FIG. 2, theaggressor technology chipset 202 can provide a signal to the victimtechnology chipset 204 via the interface 208 to indicate when datatraffic is being transmitted by the aggressor technology chipset 202.

In some example embodiments, the data traffic control module 120 and/orvictim technology communication interface 118 can be configured todiscriminate between an in-device interference condition and situationsin which data reception via the victim wireless communication technologysuffers from external interference based at least in part on acomparison between baseline measurements that can be captured by thevictim technology communication interface 118 when data traffic is notbeing transmitted via the aggressor technology communication interface116 and measurements that can be captured by the victim technologycommunication interface 118 when data traffic is being transmitted viathe aggressor technology communication interface 116. For example, abaseline noise floor measurement can be compared to a noise floormeasurement captured while data traffic is being transmitted via theaggressor technology communication interface 116 to determine acontribution of transmission via the aggressor wireless communicationtechnology to the noise floor. If the difference between the noise floorduring transmission of data traffic via the aggressor wirelesscommunication technology and the baseline noise floor exceeds athreshold, then it can be determined that there is an in-deviceinterference condition for which a bit rate of data traffic transmittedvia the aggressor technology communication interface 116 should bereduced.

As another example, a baseline throughput for data reception via thevictim technology communication interface 116 that can be observed whendata traffic is not transmitted via the aggressor wireless communicationtechnology can be compared to a throughput measured for data receptionduring transmission of data traffic via the aggressor wirelesscommunication technology. If a reduction in throughput exceeding athreshold occurs as a result of in-device interference from transmissionof data traffic via the aggressor wireless communication technology,then it can be determined that there is an in-device interferencecondition for which a bit rate of data traffic transmitted via theaggressor technology communication interface 116 should be reduced.Similarly, in some example embodiments, a baseline received data errorrate that can be observed by the victim technology communicationinterface 118 while data traffic is not being transmitted via theaggressor technology communication interface 116 can be compared to areceived data error rate that can be observed by the victim technologycommunication interface 118 while data traffic is being transmitted viathe aggressor technology communication interface 116. If there is anincrease in observed received data error rate from the baseline receiveddata error rate that exceeds a threshold, then it can be determined thatthere is an in-device interference condition for which a bit rate ofdata traffic transmitted via the aggressor technology communicationinterface 116 should be reduced.

In some example embodiments, the data traffic control module 120 can beconfigured to reduce a bit rate of data traffic transmitted via theaggressor wireless communication technology in response to an in-deviceinterference condition. In this regard, the data traffic control module120 can be configured to reduce a bit rate of data provided to theaggressor technology communication interface 116 for transmission. Insome example embodiments, reducing the bit rate of data provided to theaggressor technology communication interface 116 can include reducing abit rate of data provided to a protocol stack for transmission via theaggressor technology communication interface 116. In this regard, dataslated for transmission via the aggressor wireless communicationtechnology can be temporarily queued in a protocol stack before beingtransmitted via the aggressor technology communication interface 116.The protocol stack can be any type of protocol stack that can be usedfor network communication. By way of non-limiting example, the protocolstack can be a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP)stack, Real-time Transport Protocol/User Datagram Protocol (RTP/UDP)stack, or other type of protocol stack that can be used to supportnetwork communication of data traffic. The type of protocol stack usedcan vary based on factors, such as a type of data traffic beingtransmitted. For example, an RTP/UDP stack can be used for real-timecommunications, such as video conferencing. In some instances, such aswhen multiple types of data traffic are being transmitted, multipletypes of protocol stacks can be used concurrently. In such instances,the bit rate of data provided to one or more protocol stacks can bereduced.

FIG. 4 illustrates a system layer diagram including a TCP/IP stack 406in accordance with some example embodiments. It will be appreciated,however, that other types of protocol stacks can be implemented inaddition to or in lieu of the TCP/IP stack 406 within the context of thesystem layer diagram of FIG. 4. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the TCP/IPstack 406 can be positioned at a layer higher than the aggressortechnology communication interface 408, which can be an embodiment ofthe aggressor technology communication interface 116. A data trafficcontrol module 404, which can be an embodiment of the data trafficcontrol module 120, can be implemented at a higher layer than the TCP/IPstack 406. In this regard, the data traffic control module 404 can bepositioned to interface between an application layer 402 and the TCP/IPstack 406. The application layer 402 can generate data for transmissionvia the aggressor wireless communication technology. The data generatedby the application layer 402 can be forwarded to the TCP/IP stack 406,where the data can be temporarily queued before being provided to theaggressor technology communication interface 408 for transmission. Inthe event of an in-device interference condition, the data trafficcontrol module 404 can reduce a bit rate of data provided by theapplication layer 402 to the TCP/IP stack 406 for transmission via theaggressor technology communication interface 408. For example, in someembodiments, the data traffic control module 404 can instruct theapplication layer 402 to reduce a bit rate of data generated fortransmission via the aggressor wireless communication technology.Additionally or alternatively, the data traffic control module 404 canencode or otherwise modify data generated by the application layer 402prior to providing the data to the TCP/IP stack 406 so that a bit rateof data traffic transmitted via the aggressor technology communicationinterface 408 is reduced in response to an in-device interferencecondition.

In embodiments in which the aggressor wireless communication technologyis a cellular technology, such as in the embodiment illustrated in FIG.3, reducing the bit rate of cellular data traffic can further serve toinfluence a grant that can be provided to the wireless communicationdevice 100 by the serving cellular network (e.g., a grant that can beprovided by the base station 304). In this regard, if the wirelesscommunication device 100 reduces a bit rate of cellular data traffic,then the wireless communication device 100 can effectively transmit lessdata over the cellular uplink. The serving cellular network can in turnreduce a grant that can be given to the wireless communication device100, which can reduce an uplink transmission power that can be used bythe wireless communication device 100. As a result, data reception viathe victim wireless communication technology can benefit from theresulting reduced aggressor wireless communication technologytransmission power in addition to time gaps in aggressor data traffictransmissions that can result from a reduced bit rate. Additionally oralternatively, in some cellular systems, such as LTE or LTE-A cellularsystems, reducing the bitt rate of cellular data traffic can result in areduction in allocated bandwidth. In this regard, fewer resource blocksmay be allocated by the serving cellular network (e.g., by the basestation 304), which can reduce desense of the victim wirelesscommunication technology.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart according to an example method forfacilitating in-device coexistence between wireless communicationtechnologies according to some example embodiments. Operation 500 caninclude transmitting data traffic from the wireless communication device100 via the aggressor wireless communication technology. In this regard,data traffic can be transmitted via the aggressor technologycommunication interface 116. Operation 510 can include the data trafficcontrol module 120 determining an occurrence of an in-deviceinterference condition. This determination can, for example, be madebased at least in part on a measurement and/or other indication that canbe reported by the victim technology communication interface 118.Operation 520 can include the data traffic control module 120 reducingthe bit rate of the data traffic transmitted via the aggressor wirelesscommunication technology in response to the in-device interferencecondition.

In some example embodiments, the method can conclude followingperformance of operation 520. However, in some example embodimentsreduction in bit rate of aggressor data traffic can be performedincrementally. In this regard, following a first reduction in bit rate,it can be determined whether the in-device interference conditioncontinues to persist and, if so, the bit rate can be further reduced.For example, the bit rate can initially be scaled back by a firstpercentage (e.g., 10%), and, if the in-device interference conditioncontinues to persist, can be scaled back by a further percentage (e.g.,an additional 10%). In such embodiments, the method can accordinglyproceed to operation 530, which can include the data traffic controlmodule 120 determining whether the in-device interference conditioncontinues to persist. If the in-device interference condition does notcontinue to persist following the reduction in bit rate of operation520, then the method can terminate. If, however, the in-deviceinterference condition does continue to persist, then the method canproceed to operation 540, which can include determining whether the bitrate of the data traffic can be further reduced. In this regard, therecan be constraints in some instances on an amount by which the bit ratecan be reduced. For example, there can be a minimum floor level of bitrate due to a type of data traffic being transmitted, constraints of theaggressor wireless communication technology, and/or other factors. Asone particular example, in some embodiments, the data traffic caninclude real time data traffic or other data traffic that can betransmitted with a guaranteed quality of service (QoS). In suchinstances, the guaranteed QoS can impose a constraint on an amount bywhich the bit rate of the data traffic can be reduced. If the bit rateof the data traffic cannot be further reduced, then the method canterminate. If, however, the bit rate of the data traffic can be furtherreduced, then the method can proceed to operation 550, which can includethe data traffic control module 120 further reducing the bit rate of thedata traffic transmitted via the aggressor wireless communicationtechnology. In some embodiments, operation 540 can be omitted, and themethod can proceed to operation 550 following operation 530 withoutdetermining whether the bit rate can be further reduced.

Following performance of operation 550, the method can optionally returnto operation 530. In this regard, in some embodiments, the bit rate ofthe data traffic can be incrementally reduced until either the in-deviceinterference condition no longer exists, or until the bit rate of thedata traffic cannot be reduced any further.

In some example embodiments, data traffic that can be transmitted viathe aggressor wireless communication technology can be grouped into aplurality of traffic classifications, each of which can have arespective priority. For example, data traffic that can be transmittedvia the aggressor wireless communication technology can include realtime data traffic and non-real time data traffic. The real time datatraffic can be accorded a higher priority than the non-real time datatraffic, as the real time data traffic may have to be transmitted with aguaranteed QoS. Non-real time data traffic and/or real time data trafficcan be further grouped into sub-classifications, based on priority. Forexample, there can be high priority real time data traffic and lowpriority real time data traffic. In such example embodiments, the bitrate of a traffic classification having a lowest priority can be reducedfirst in response to an in-device interference condition. If thein-device interference condition continues to persist, then the bit rateof a traffic classification having a next lowest priority can bereduced, and so on. Thus, for example, operation 520 as described abovecan be performed for each of one or more traffic classifications basedon respective priorities of the traffic classifications in accordancewith some example embodiments.

In some such example embodiments, each data traffic classification canbe queued for transmission at a protocol stack and/or at the aggressortechnology communication interface 116 in a separate traffic queue. Assuch, reduction of bit rate of a traffic classification can includereducing a bit rate of data added to the traffic queue for that trafficclassification.

FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart according to an example method forfacilitating in-device coexistence between wireless communicationtechnologies according to some example embodiments in which data trafficis grouped into a plurality of traffic classifications, each of having arespective priority. Operation 600 can include transmitting data trafficgrouped into a plurality of traffic classifications from the wirelesscommunication device 100 via the aggressor wireless communicationtechnology. In this regard, operation 600 can correspond to anembodiment of operation 500 in which transmitted data traffic can begrouped into a plurality of traffic classifications, which can haverespective priorities. The data traffic can be transmitted via theaggressor technology communication interface 116. Operation 610 caninclude the data traffic control module 120 determining an occurrence ofan in-device interference condition. This determination can, forexample, be made based at least in part on a measurement and/or otherindication that can be reported by the victim technology communicationinterface 118. Operation 620 can include the data traffic control module120 reducing the bit rate of the traffic classification having thelowest priority among the traffic classifications in response to thein-device interference condition. In this regard, operation 620 cancorrespond to an embodiment of operation 520 in which a bit rate can bereduced for a specific traffic classification based on a priority of thetraffic classification.

In some example embodiments, the method can conclude followingperformance of operation 620. However, in some example embodimentsreduction in bit rate of aggressor data traffic can be performedincrementally. In this regard, following a reduction in bit rate of alowest priority traffic classification, it can be determined whether thein-device interference condition continues to persist and, if so, thebit rate of a further data traffic classification(s) can be reduced. Insuch embodiments, the method can accordingly proceed to operation 630,which can include the data traffic control module 120 determiningwhether the in-device interference condition continues to persist. Ifthe in-device interference condition does not continue to persistfollowing the reduction in bit rate of operation 620, then the methodcan terminate. If, however, the in-device interference condition doescontinue to persist, then the method can proceed to operation 640, whichcan include determining whether the bit rate of a further trafficclassification can be reduced. For example, there may be one or moretraffic classifications for which a bit rate cannot be reduced due toQoS guarantees for the traffic classification. Accordingly, the datatraffic control module 120 can determine whether the bit rate hasalready been reduced for every traffic classification for which the bitrate can be reduced.

If the bit rate of a further traffic classification cannot be reduced,then the method can terminate. If, however, the bit rate of a furthertraffic classification can be reduced, then the method can proceed tooperation 650, which can include the data traffic control module 120reducing the bit rate of a traffic classification having a next lowestpriority. In this regard, the bit rate of the traffic classificationhaving the lowest priority amongst those traffic classifications forwhich the bit rate has not previously been reduced can be reduced.

Following performance of operation 650, the method can optionally returnto operation 630. In this regard, in some embodiments, the bit rate ofthe data traffic can be incrementally reduced one traffic classificationat a time until either the in-device interference condition no longerexists, or until there are not any further traffic classifications forwhich the bit rate can be reduced.

It will be appreciated that reduction in bit rate of data traffictransmitted via the aggressor wireless communication technology can beaccomplished by any of a variety of methodologies that can be used toreduce a bit rate of data. In some example embodiments, a codec that canbe used to encode at least a portion of the data traffic transmitted viathe aggressor wireless communication technology can be switched. In thisregard, a codec using a lower bit rate can be used in place of apreviously used codec such that a bit rate of encoded data generated fortransmission via the aggressor wireless communication technology can bereduced.

FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart according to an example method forfacilitating in-device coexistence between wireless communicationtechnologies according to some example embodiments in which a codec canbe changed to reduce the bit rate of aggressor data traffic. Operation700 can include transmitting data traffic encoded with a first codecfrom the wireless communication device 100 via the aggressor wirelesscommunication technology. In this regard, operation 700 can correspondto an embodiment of operation 500 and/or operation 600 in whichtransmitted data traffic can be codec encoded. The data traffic can betransmitted via the aggressor technology communication interface 116.Operation 710 can include the data traffic control module 120determining an occurrence of an in-device interference condition. Thisdetermination can, for example, be made based at least in part on ameasurement and/or other indication that can be reported by the victimtechnology communication interface 118. Operation 720 can include thedata traffic control module 120 reducing the bit rate of the datatraffic transmitted via the aggressor wireless communication technologyby switching to a second codec having a lower bit rate than the firstcodec for encoding the data traffic in response to the in-deviceinterference condition. In this regard operation 720 can, for example,correspond to an embodiment of operation 500 in which the bit rate oftransmitted data traffic can be reduced at least in part by switchingcodecs. In some example embodiments, operation 620 and/or operation 650can implement an embodiment of operation 720, such that a bit rate of atraffic classification can be reduced by switching a codec that can beused for the traffic classification.

In some example embodiments, the method can conclude followingperformance of operation 720. However, in some example embodimentsreduction in bit rate of aggressor data traffic can be performedincrementally. In this regard, following switching to the second codec,it can be determined whether the in-device interference conditioncontinues to persist and, if so, the bit rate can be further reduced byswitching to another codec having a lower bit rate than the secondcodec. In such embodiments, the method can accordingly proceed tooperation 730, which can include the data traffic control module 120determining whether the in-device interference condition continues topersist. If the in-device interference condition does not continue topersist following the reduction in bit rate of operation 720, then themethod can terminate. If, however, the in-device interference conditiondoes continue to persist, then the method can proceed to operation 740,which can include determining whether a codec using a lower bit rate canbe used in lieu of the existing codec being used to encode data traffictransmitted via the aggressor wireless communication technology. In thisregard, there can be constraints in some instances on whether aparticular codec can be used to encode data traffic. For example, a QoSguarantee that may be enforced for data traffic can impose a minimumfloor level of bit rate. Such a constraint can accordingly prevent acodec from being used if the codec does not support the guaranteed QoS.As another example, all available codecs may have been exhausted andthere may not have be an available codec having a lower bit rate than anexisting codec.

If it is determined at operation 740 that a codec using a lower bit ratecannot be used in lieu of the current bit rate, then the method canterminate. If, however, a codec using a lower bit rate can be used, thenthe method can proceed to operation 750, which can include the datatraffic control module 120 switching to a codec using a lower bit ratethan the current codec.

Following performance of operation 750, the method can optionally returnto operation 730. In this regard, in some embodiments, the bit rate ofthe data traffic can be incrementally reduced by progressively switching(e.g., downgrading) codecs until either the in-device interferencecondition no longer exists, or until a codec having a lower bit rate cannot be substituted for an existing codec.

It will be appreciated that the methodology illustrated in FIG. 7 can beused in combination with the methodology used in FIG. 6. For example,the bit rate of a traffic classification can be reduced by switchingcodecs. As another example, in some example embodiments, multiple codecsusing progressively lower bit rates can be sequentially used forreducing a bit rate of data traffic in a first traffic classification ifan in-device interference condition continues to persist following firstswitching codecs before reducing a bit rate of a second trafficclassification having a higher priority.

In some example embodiments, the bit rate of traffic transmitted via theaggressor wireless communication technology can be increased followingmitigation of an in-device interference condition. In some such exampleembodiments, the bit rate can be returned to a rate used beforeoccurrence of the in-device interference condition in a single step.Alternatively, in some such example embodiments, the bit rate can beincrementally increased in steps. For example, the bit rate can beincreased incrementally until either the bit rate used prior tooccurrence of the in-device interference condition is reached or untilthe in-device interference condition reoccurs due to an increase in bitrate. Any methodology that can be used to decrease the bit rate can beused to increase the bit rate after mitigation of the in-deviceinterference condition. For example, a codec using a higher bit rate canbe used, the bit rate of data provided to a protocol stack fortransmission can be increased, some combination thereof, and/or othermethodology can be used to increase the bit rate.

FIG. 8 illustrates a flowchart according to an example method forincreasing a bit rate of data traffic following mitigation of anin-device interference condition according to some example embodiments.Operation 800 can include transmitting data traffic from the wirelesscommunication device 100 via the aggressor wireless communicationtechnology. In this regard, data traffic can be transmitted via theaggressor technology communication interface 116. Operation 800 canaccordingly, for example, correspond to one or more of operations 500,600, and 700. Operation 810 can include the data traffic control module120 determining an occurrence of an in-device interference condition.This determination can, for example, be made based at least in part on ameasurement and/or other indication that can be reported by the victimtechnology communication interface 118. Operation 820 can include thedata traffic control module 120 reducing the bit rate of the datatraffic transmitted via the aggressor wireless communication technologyin response to the in-device interference condition. As such, operation820 can correspond to an embodiment of one or more of operations 520,620, and 720. Operation 830 can include the data traffic control module120 determining that the in-device interference condition has beenmitigated. Operation 840 can include the data traffic control module 120increasing he bit rate of the data traffic transmitted via the aggressorwireless communication technology in response to mitigation of thein-device interference condition.

The various aspects, embodiments, implementations or features of thedescribed embodiments can be used separately or in any combination.Various aspects of the described embodiments can be implemented bysoftware, hardware or a combination of hardware and software. Thedescribed embodiments can also be embodied as computer readable code ona computer readable medium for controlling manufacturing operations oras computer readable code on a computer readable medium for controllinga manufacturing line. The computer readable medium is any data storagedevice that can store data which can thereafter be read by a computersystem. Examples of the computer readable medium include read-onlymemory, random-access memory, CD-ROMs, HDDs, DVDs, magnetic tape, andoptical data storage devices. The computer readable medium can also bedistributed over network-coupled computer systems so that the computerreadable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion.

In the foregoing detailed description, reference was made to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of the description and in whichare shown, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in accordancewith the described embodiments. Although these embodiments are describedin sufficient detail to enable one skilled in the art to practice thedescribed embodiments, it is understood that these examples are notlimiting; such that other embodiments may be used, and changes may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the describedembodiments.

Further, the foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, usedspecific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of thedescribed embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled inthe art that the specific details are not required in order to practicethe described embodiments. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of specificembodiments are presented for purposes of illustration and description.The description of and examples disclosed with respect to theembodiments presented in the foregoing description are provided solelyto add context and aid in the understanding of the describedembodiments. The description is not intended to be exhaustive or tolimit the described embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. It willbe apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications,alternative applications, and variations are possible in view of theabove teachings. In this regard, one of ordinary skill in the art willreadily appreciate that the described embodiments may be practicedwithout some or all of these specific details. Further, in someinstances, well known process steps have not been described in detail inorder to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the described embodiments.

1. (canceled)
 2. A wireless device comprising: a first wirelessinterface configurable to communicate in accordance with a first radioaccess technology (RAT); a second wireless interface configurable tocommunicate in accordance with a second RAT; and processing circuitrycommunicatively coupled to the first and second wireless interfaces andconfigured to cause the wireless device to: determine occurrence of anin-device interference condition resulting from transmission of datatraffic via the first wireless interface; and adjust a property of atleast a portion of data traffic transmitted via the first wirelessinterface in response to the in-device interference condition, whereinthe wireless device determines occurrence of the in-device interferencecondition based on a comparison of measurements performed by the secondwireless interface when data traffic is transmitted via the firstwireless interface and when no data traffic is transmitted via the firstwireless interface.
 3. The wireless device as recited in claim 2,wherein the measurements comprise observed data error rates for datatraffic received via the second wireless interface.
 4. The wirelessdevice as recited in claim 2, wherein the measurements comprise observednoise floors for the second wireless interface.
 5. The wireless deviceas recited in claim 2, wherein the wireless device adjusts the propertyof the at least a portion of the data traffic transmitted via the firstwireless interface at least in part by reducing a bit rate of the atleast a portion of the data traffic.
 6. The wireless device as recitedin claim 5, wherein reducing the bit rate results in a reduction intransmission power via the first wireless interface.
 7. The wirelessdevice as recited in claim 5, wherein reducing the bit rate results inat least one additional time gap in data traffic transmitted via thefirst wireless interface.
 8. The wireless device as recited in claim 2,wherein the wireless device adjusts the property of the at least aportion of the data traffic transmitted via the first wireless interfaceat least in part by switching from using a first codec to using a secondcodec to encode the at least a portion of the data traffic.
 9. Thewireless device as recited in claim 8, wherein the second codec has alower bit rate than the first codec.
 10. The wireless device as recitedin claim 2, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured tocause the wireless device to: determine whether the in-deviceinterference condition persists after adjustment of the property of theat least a portion of the data traffic; and further adjust the propertyof the at least a portion of data traffic transmitted via the firstwireless interface when the in-device interference condition persists.11. An apparatus configurable for operation in a wireless device, theapparatus comprising processing circuitry configured to cause thewireless device to: determine occurrence of an in-device interferencecondition resulting from transmission of data traffic via a firstwireless interface of the wireless device; and adjust a property of atleast a portion of data traffic transmitted via the first wirelessinterface in response to the in-device interference condition, whereinthe wireless device determines occurrence of the in-device interferencecondition based on a comparison of measurements performed by a secondwireless interface when data traffic is transmitted via the firstwireless interface and when no data traffic is transmitted via the firstwireless interface.
 12. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, whereinthe measurements comprise observed data error rates for data trafficreceived via the second wireless interface.
 13. The apparatus as recitedin claim 11, wherein the measurements comprise observed noise floors forthe second wireless interface.
 14. The apparatus as recited in claim 11,wherein the wireless device adjusts the property of the at least aportion of the data traffic transmitted via the first wireless interfaceat least in part by reducing a bit rate of the at least a portion of thedata traffic.
 15. The apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein reducingthe bit rate results in a reduction in transmission power via the firstwireless interface.
 16. The apparatus as recited in claim 14, whereinreducing the bit rate results in at least one additional time gap indata traffic transmitted via the first wireless interface.
 17. Theapparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the wireless device adjuststhe property of the at least a portion of the data traffic transmittedvia the first wireless interface at least in part by switching fromusing a first codec to using a second codec to encode the at least aportion of the data traffic.
 18. The apparatus as recited in claim 17,wherein the second codec has a lower bit rate than the first codec. 19.The apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the processing circuitryis further configured to cause the wireless device to: determine whetherthe in-device interference condition persists after adjustment of theproperty of the at least a portion of the data traffic; and furtheradjust the property of the at least a portion of data traffictransmitted via the first wireless interface when the in-deviceinterference condition persists.
 20. A method for managing in-deviceinterference between wireless interfaces of a wireless device, themethod comprising: by the wireless device: determining occurrence of anin-device interference condition resulting from transmission of datatraffic via a first wireless interface of the wireless device; andadjusting a property of at least a portion of data traffic transmittedvia the first wireless interface in response to the in-deviceinterference condition, wherein the wireless device determinesoccurrence of the in-device interference condition based on a comparisonof measurements performed by a second wireless interface when datatraffic is transmitted via the first wireless interface and when no datatraffic is transmitted via the first wireless interface.
 21. The methodas recited in claim 20, wherein the wireless device adjusts the propertyof the at least a portion of the data traffic transmitted via the firstwireless interface at least in part by reducing a bit rate of the atleast a portion of the data traffic.